It is rumored that on a visit to the Abbey Road studios Jim Morrison sang in the chorus of "Happiness is a Warm Gun."

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Paul McCartney’s winning of five Grammys this past Sunday (January 26, 2014) doesn’t leave a Doors Examiner with very many articles to write. Until you take a look at the circumstantial evidence then you can find a Beatles Doors connection.

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Although the bands were contemporaries of each other, there doesn’t seem to have been much interaction between The Beatles and The Doors. Biographies of both bands don’t mention any interaction between the bands, there are no pictures of any members of either band hanging out with each other, but that is a mistaken assumption. There seems to have been some contact between the bands, and there are rumors that suggest that the bands did meet.

The first connection between The Beatles and The Doors was just as The Doors were coming together as a band. In September of 1965. Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman was putting together an album of Beatles music done by classical artists called “The Baroque Beatles Book.” Holzman, fearing The Beatles would quash the album, flew over to London and met with both John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who gave their blessing for the album.

After The Doors first European tour, Jim Morrison and Pam Courson took an apartment and hung out in London for a few weeks. During this period it has been reported that Jim Morrison met John Lennon at the Abbey Road studios during Lennon’s recording of “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” This is certainly possible, Morrison could well have known of Holzman’s prior meeting with The Beatles and could have asked him for an introduction. There are also rumors that Morrison can be heard in the chorus of the song.

After Morrison’s return to Los Angeles it is rumored that George Harrison reciprocated Jim Morrison’s visit to Abbey Road. The Doors were immersed in the recording of “The Soft Parade” of which Harrison said the sessions reminded him of The Beatles recording of “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

In September of 1969 The Doors were the headlining act for the Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival Festival, but tickets weren’t selling very briskly and the promoters were considering cancelling the concert. Kim Fowley, who was to emcee the event, was able to contact John Lennon and secure him for the show. While there are no reported meetings of Lennon or any of The Doors at the show, Ray Manzarek did report that backstage all of Lennon’s entourage ate all the food that was backstage.

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Jim Cherry is the author of the books Becoming Angel, Stranger Souls, and The Doors inspired novel 'The Last Stage'. Jim has been a Doors fan for 30 years and is writing under the influence of Rock 'n' Roll! For more information, and to contact Jim please visit jymsbooks.com.